Jeonbuk Governor Kim Kwan-young Signals Direct Approach to Jamboree... "Will Attend National Assembly Anytime"

Kim Kwan-young "The ruling party uses regionalism as a shield"
Regarding attendance at the National Assembly standing committee, "I will attend anytime"

Kim Kwan-young, Governor of Jeonbuk Province, met with Park Kwang-on, floor leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, at the National Assembly on the 17th and stated, "I am willing to appear at the National Assembly anytime."

Jeonbuk Governor Kim Kwan-young is heading to the National Assembly Floor Leader's Office on the 17th for a meeting with Park Kwang-on, the floor leader of the Democratic Party of Korea.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

Governor Kim told reporters on the same day, "Recently, the ruling and opposition parties have been engaged in political strife over the issue of the Jeonbuk governor's appearance at the National Assembly related to the Jamboree, which is not desirable for the country. I conveyed my willingness to appear to Floor Leader Park Kwang-on," he said.

Governor Kim added, "Floor Leader Park responded that he would fully consider this in future negotiations between the ruling and opposition parties," emphasizing, "At this point, it is more important to focus on accurately establishing the facts and learning lessons rather than engaging in political strife."

Earlier, the National Assembly held a current affairs inquiry by the Public Administration and Security Committee the day before, but the session was disrupted about 30 minutes after it began due to conflicts between the ruling and opposition parties over Governor Kim's attendance.

Regarding the Board of Audit and Inspection's audit of Jeonbuk Province, he said, "We will do our best to comply," and added, "I hope the audit will uncover the truth and provide lessons, rather than being an audit with predetermined goals or one that scapegoats someone."

In response to the ruling party's claim that regionalism is being used as a shield, Governor Kim said, "It is the ruling party that has used regionalism as a shield," and asserted, "Those ruling party officials who spread false information, such as involving Saemangeum, which has nothing to do with the Jamboree, and claiming that trillions of won were embezzled, must apologize."

Meanwhile, calls for Governor Kim's accountability have been emphasized continuously.

On the previous day, Cho Eun-hee, a member of the People Power Party belonging to the National Assembly's Public Administration and Security Committee and the Gender Equality and Family Committee, said on YTN Radio, "I don't understand why the Jeonbuk governor, who was the Jamboree executive chairman and played a key role in preparing the Jamboree, should not be called," adding, "The Democratic Party is being criticized for 'shielding Lee Jae-myung,' and now there is a misunderstanding that they are also shielding Jeonbuk Governor 'Kim Kwan-young' regarding the Jamboree."

Opposition lawmakers who attended a breakfast meeting with Jeonbuk-area National Assembly members held at the National Assembly Members' Office Building on the same day also criticized the one-sided "Jeonbuk accountability theory" surrounding the Jamboree as unfair. Han Byung-do, a Democratic Party member, said, "We need to evaluate what was lacking in the event, but all responsibility is being shifted to Jeonbuk and even disparaged," adding, "Fake news is openly circulating, and we will respond strongly."

Kim Yoon-duk, a Democratic Party member who co-chaired the Jamboree organizing committee, said, "We need to assert that Saemangeum has nothing to do with the Jamboree," and added, "This is an opportunity where cooperation from ruling party lawmakers from Jeonbuk is necessary."

Kwon Seong-dong, a member of the National Assembly's Public Administration and Security Committee, posted on Facebook that day, "The opposition parties have been driving political strife even before the Board of Audit and Inspection's audit of the Jamboree began," and wrote, "Governor Kim Kwan-young held a defensive press conference and raised the issue of the organizing committee's responsibility for the Jamboree."

Kwon pointed out, "Governor Kim is trying to create an optical illusion that the organizing committee and Jeonbuk Province are separate organizations, but this is not an honest attitude," and added, "The executive committee within the organizing committee has the authority to approve the budget and major project plans, and the executive chairman of that committee is the Jeonbuk governor."

This is interpreted as a backlash against Governor Kim's statement at a press conference on the 14th, where he said that most tasks, except for water supply and sewage, sewage treatment facilities, parking lots, and temporary pumping stations, were contracted and handled afterward centered on the organizing committee.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.